Horsing Around, Saving Horses and Capturing Horses
February 1st, 2010
Donna Paige and Rescued Horse
There are lots of horse issues rearing their heads. From horses being bred then discarded for not performing, to horses being roundup in the wild, captured and kept in corrals.
This past weekend I asked my local TV station go with me to our local polo fields. I wanted to do an interview with a local Restaurateur, Jaymie Klauber, who is a polo player but also rescues horses that need a home. If she did not adopt them, they would be sent to the slaughter house. She takes them then trains them to play polo. They have a wonderful home and a productive life playing polo. The day I was with her she got a call that other horses needed to be rescued. If she can’t take them she does find them homes. She will not let them go to the slaughter house. If you are looking for horses, let us know. We can get you in touch with Jaymie.
Jaymie Klauber & Her Horse
I also met with Larry Robinson, NHL Hall of Fame, Stanley Cup winner and on the board of Animal Connection. Larry is a polo player and also rescues animals that need a good home. He was raised on a farm and has always had a special place in his heart for animals.
Donna Paige, Larry & Jeannette Robinson
Click Here to see the interview with Larry Robinson and Jaymie Klauber.
Not all horses are cared for as well as these polo ponies. There is an issue going on in the Wild West…..there has been a big roundup going on in Nevada. There have been over 2,500 wild horses captured. They use helicopters and horseback riders to herd them into corrals. These corrals are in the Black Rock Range, a chain of mountains 100 miles North of Reno. The local Land Management estimates there are nearly 37,000 wild mustangs. About half of them live in Nevada, with others concentrated in Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The Land Management feels if this is not controlled now, the horse population will double in 4 years. They also say that many of these horses are ill. The challenge, where will these horses end up? The plan is to have the horses adopted or sent to holding facilities in the Midwest since the space near Reno is full.
The roundup has upset a lot of people for many reasons. Using helicopters frightens the horses which can cause injuries like broken legs, and is inhumane. If a horse breaks its leg it has to be put down. There is also the risk of respiratory illness to these horses. Foals also can’t keep up and get separated from their mothers.
There are a number of celebrities who do not approve of this roundup. Two of these include Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow. Willie Nelson has said he feels these animals will become extinct if this continues.
Please give us your feedback and thoughts in the “Comment” section below.
We all know that nature will balance itself out of left alone and given time. Why is it that the human species always feels that they need to step in and “solve” the problem. If food is scarce because of over population the weaker will die or be killed by predators and less foals will be birthed. These applies to all types of animals. We have managed to cause a great deal of damage to the environment because we think we know better than nature.
Good job Paige! That was a great piece.
That’s great! The only thing was that the News reporter called it annimalconnection.com not annimalconnectionshow.com. Hopefully people actually read the email address on the screen.
As a westerner I am appalled that this ridiculous practice of the wild horse roundup still continues. It is a BLM practice that is completely out of control. The cattleman’s lobby in the west is all powerful and they are at the root of the roundups. The underlying notion is that the horses are eating up all the food for the cows. Well duh….the cows don’t belong there, but the BLM receives handsome lease payments from ranchers who lease the land to graze their cattle. Recently the BLM said it would have to kill a number of horses because it could no longer afford to care for them. Here’s a solution…stop catching them. You know, nature has a way of taking care of herself if we the humans just stay out of the way. The cows don’t belong on the wild range. The horses are the result of not the true wild mustangs of days gone by, but of lots of cross breeding with horses who have been turned loose, wandered away whatever. However, the horses, though not native to the US have made these rangelands their home and do pretty well without our intervention. However, cows generally don’t fare as well in the wild. Coming from Wyoming where Ranching is king, I’ve never understood why if you are going to raise cattle you don’t insure you have enough pasture/land to feed them on your own ranch. Just don’t get the whole dragging them into the mountains every spring thing. (If you’ve never been caught in a cow-jam on a narrow mountain road while they wander aimlessly around, I recommend it, it’s a great way to see the scenery at a very slow pace).
I’m not cow bashing here, I like them, they are sweet beasts, but they are not wild beasts. These horses however have become wild and should be left to stay wild. The BLM’s excuse is that there will be overpopulation in the herds and some of the horses are diseased. In reality, the overpopulation will take care of itself, nature has a way of doing that. Diseases, maybe, but the real reason stems from the ranchers worrying that the wild horses will infect their livestock AND eat up the grass their stock grazes on. (Don’t get me started on the eco damage Bessie Bovine and her buds cause on stream beds).
The BLM in Nevada recently made the grand gesture of saying they would allow the public to view the roundup. When the time came, the “public” which was horse advocates and the press, were kept several miles away with the excuse that the roundup was taking place on private land. And my question for that, as a taxpayer, is WHY was the BLM rounding up horses on PRIVATE land. It’s a HUGE issue here in the west, running a close second behind the wolf debates.
Is there an answer? In my opinion yes. Take the BLM out of the mix, do not allow ranchers to lease land from the government, and if a rancher wants to raise cattle, then that rancher needs to have enough land to do it on. And the best solution…stop eating beef. If no one wants it then no one will raise it, (And I do love a good burger now and again) however the cost to the land and the inhumanity of slaughter is not worth the taste of a Big Mac.
Write your congressman and stand up for the horses.
I just lost a mustang I adopted five years ago yesterday during abdominal surgery due to a large intestine obstruction. I adopted him at the age of four (aprox.) from a holding facility in NV and had him for five years. He was the sweetest horse I’ve owned. I hope more people can be made aware of their plight. The one positive thing was that many students, residents and faculty fell in love with him here in Texas while he was at the school for his surgery. I know he was a very positive ambassador for these horses.
Wow, what a moving story about the horses. Why do we continue to treat animals like this? Unfortunately it’s the children and the animals that can’t save themselves so good souls have to step up. I’m looking forward to seeing your show.
Thanks for your comments. I know that Jaymie and Larry are reviewing the comments and I’m sure they appreciate the support. I appreciate your support!
Thanks for sharing Donna. The roundups are inhuman. It should not be done. Why not let the horses be on their own.
On the other hand,its great to know that Jaymie and Larry are doing such a wonderful thing. Rescuing and training them to be Polo Ponies and finding them homes. Its just great! Have shared the video on facebook as well as Orkut.
One of my students who rides competetively wrote her essay on this subject — saving horses from slaughter houses. Her riding instructor bought one to use to teach kids on.
Very cool!
The question I have is who is going to adopt them? The incidences of abandoned horses appear to be increasing given the economy http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/01/06/recession-victims-horses-being-abandoned/ and as the US no longer allows slaughter for export there are fewer avenues to deal with these animals. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/us/07horses.html
In 1994 1,200 wild mustangs were rounded up on a Canadian Forces base; it looks like about 200 were able to find homes but it is unclear what happened to the rest of them. http://suffieldmustangs.homestead.com/history.html
A sensitive and complex issue to be sure.
This shows, no matter how successful or well known you become, people can still do the right thing and help animals that can’t help themselves. Thanks for sharing.
It’s nice to hear about these angles saving horses.
To me it’s simple, It is like any wild animal, it should be left alone by man to live it’s own life the bet way it can. The Wolf is a prime example.
I agree that some sort of area should be put aside for such animals, We can do it in a fashion for the native American population, why not a native American wild animal.
The roundup does not sound like a good thing to do. The mustangs are wild so why not leave them like that? We keep invading the land of animals and then get upset when they are around. What’s the matter with humans?
I’m glad to see that people like Larry and Jaymie are doing good things to help these poor horses.
It’s nice to know there are such wonderful people out there who take animals that are in need and give them good homes. Thanks for the wonderful work you do to bring awareness to animal issues. I can’t wait to see the show.
My sister rescues horses from slaughter in Michigan. The work that is done to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home these majestic animals is huge! Thank goodness for these rescuers!!
Years ago I lived on a farm. We had somewhere between 25 and 30 horses in our barn. I love horses.
Thanks for the article and for your dedication to all our friends.